or when your gut tells you to buy some limes (even though that aren’t on your grocery list; they are only 5 for $1 for Christ sakes) instead of listening to your not-so-adorable-today, three-year old screams at the top of her lungs for some gummy bears, please for heavens sake get the damn limes!
Or you might end of making a lemon pie, because you got plenty of lemons, those were on the freakin’ list. Take note: I said pie and not tart. The catastrophe of being away from the raw kitchen for so long is all your neat tart pans and molds and other gadgets gets utilized as utensils in the kids’ sandbox. 'Want another sandy mud tart, mom? ' Now, I'm using an aluminum pie tin left over from Christmas. Instead of making Matt Samuelson's Coconut Lime Tarts, I ended up with a very delicious Lemon Coconut Pie. Thank heaven's for disgruntle three-year-olds.
Lemon Coconut PieCRUST2 cups almonds, soaked for 6-8 hours 1 cup dates, pitted and soaked for an hour, reserve soaking water 4 tablespoon reserved date water 2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon sea salt FILLING3 cups coconut meat (from 2-3 Thai coconuts) 1 1/2 cups coconut water 2 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid)juice of 1 large lemon1/4 cup agave nectar1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract1/8 teaspoon sea salt CRUST In a food processor, process almonds, dates, date water, vanilla extract and sea salt until well combined. Remove almond mixture and press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. STRAWBERRY SAUCE Process strawberries and agave in a blender. FILLING Blend coconut meat, coconut water, oil, lemon juice, agave, vanilla and sea salt in a blender; process until smooth and creamy. Pour filling into crust. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours. Drizzle with strawberry sauce before serving.
The Daily Raw Blog kids My kids inspire me. Five different personalities running rampant, with five different thoughts, ideas and possibilities. Wow! I can't wait to see how they take on the world. Love them very much. During this time of year I like to take stock in what is important to me, what inspires and well, you get the point. Who (or what) inspires you? "Inspiration: Life" Coming January 2, 2008
Mushrooms and Scallions in Miso Broth serves 4
juice of one lemon (or lime) 2 cups sliced mushroom 2 tablespoon miso 4 cups warm water 1/2 cup diced scallions 1 Marinate the mushrooms in the lemon juice for one to two hours. 2 In a large bowl place miso, add water. Stir until miso is dissolved. Add mushrooms and scallions.
Today’s Cream of Shiitake Soup will be accompanied with a tale of break-ups.
My first major break-up, that I recall, was a silly little man-boy by the name of Fulton J. He had these striking, chocolate eyes that mesmerized. They gazed into mine and held tight, giving me the illusion that I was the only thing he saw. On later recollections, his glare really resembled someone who smoked way too much ganja. None the less, he (and his eyes) were as smooth and charismatic as a 15-year old could be in bible camp. That‘s where I chased him like an eager puppy. He loved the attention and he played with me, as long as I didn’t piss on his new penny loafers (to mark my territory, mind you) or until a new b**** came into the mix. Whichever came first. To make long stories, shorter and to prevent opening old wounds, it was nearly 10 years of hooking up with Fulton J. and being tossed aside by him that I finally wised up and got him out of my system for good. I never want to have anything to do with him, ever. He broke my heart.
During that time, my best friend Monique was there to pick up the pieces. Monique and I met during 5th grade at Amesse Elementary School in Denver. I said something that made her feel bad to which she immediately set me straight. She told me if we were going to be friends I couldn’t be mean to her. I apologized and we have been best friends ever since.
I loved Monique like a sister, that‘s how close we were. If it ever possible for two only children to break free from that “me only” habit and love another as a sibling. But that‘s how I loved her.
Monique has been there for me through thick and thin and she has always been my cheerleader. She has loved me even when I couldn’t find the strength to love myself. I, for her, have given her positive and happy-go-lucky inspiration. I tried to remain upbeat and optimistic when she refused to. And I, at times, provided the voice of reason.
Unfortunately, I had to listened to her same issues surface again and again with a supportive stance. By supportive, I mean without comment that would set her into attack mode. She had endowed with me with a the gift of holding my tongue. Enter juice feasting. I am cruising along, detoxing crap, purging old habits, getting out everything that's on my mind that would be beneficial for me. Not a good thing if your best friend is Monique. Again making that long story, short.On Wednesday, February 10, 2010, when she mentioned taking a break from the friendship, I thought it a bit harsh that many, many years of friendship could be tossed aside with such ease.
Monique stated that since I said something that made her feel bad she thought it best we end our relationship.
This time around, I did not apologize. After several man-boys, birth of 7 children between us, tragic deaths, ups, downs and whatnots... after 30 years of friendship, Monique has broken up with me. I want to get her out of my system for good. I never want to have anything to do with her, ever. She has shattered my heart. On to soup. Cream of Shiitake Soup to be exact. This particular soup really has nothing to do with the story. Well, except this is the first day I hadn’t got that sinking feeling in my stomach from thinking of her. That alone is a reason to celebrate with a soup.This soup started out as Shazzie’s (p. 97) until I realized I didn’t have half the ingredients required for completion. I guess coming out of the fog that break-ups provide, I missed a few steps. No worries, I promise I am okay. After twice-a-day Bikram sessions and running endless miles on the treadmill, I feel better than yesterday and twice as good as the day before. And so is this soup. Although, Man on the Raw, didn’t enjoy it. I was surprised that he didn’t, it smelled amazing to me, very rich. But when he reacted so negative about it, I couldn’t resist I had the tiniest bit of a taste of the broth (I know, I know the juice feast). I thought it had a nice earthy taste to it. A statement in which Man on the Raw proclaimed, “Earthy?!? More like dirt.” Well, you my dear readers will have to be the deciding vote. Try it and tell me if you taste “earthy” or “dirt”. Just remember, I'm the one going through a break-up.
Cream of Shiitake Soup 2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed 4 tablespoons Nama Shoyu 2 tablespoon olive oil 4 cups almond milk ¼ cup finely chopped red onion 2 tablespoons parsley leaves 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon sea salt Red pepper flakes Parsley Slice 1 cup of mushrooms and place in a bowl. Finely dice the remaining 1 cup of mushrooms and place in a second bowl. Add 2 tablespoon Nama Shoyu and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to each bowl. Toss to coat. Marinate mushrooms for 1 hour. Combine the sliced mushrooms, almond milk, red onion, parsley leaves, garlic and sea salt in a blender. Puree until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and add the diced mushrooms to the soup. Garnish with red pepper flakes and parsley, to taste. Recipe #42 of the Complete Book of Raw Food Endeavor - Shazzie's Cream of Shiitake Soup, p. 97 Recipe #43 of the Complete Book of Raw Food Endeavor — Shazzie's Almond Milk, p. 184
I have been using a lot of garlic (upwards of 4-6 cloves) in my juices lately and peeling garlic has been such chore.
Until I purchased peeled garlic and it's such a lifesaver. I just open the container and pop the cloves into the juicer. Easy.
I would recommend purchasing your peeled garlic at an Asian market compared to a chain grocer. Not only is Asian market's garlic fresh with no preservatives but it's super inexpensive. Keep in the refrigerator and it will last a good while.
Here are the ingredients I used to create my recipes for The Daily Raw Blog Recipe Challenge
1. Red Grapes 2. Cashews 3. Almonds 4. Garlic 5. Red Pepper 6. Lemon 7. Tomatoes
Focaccia with Grapes Yield: 12 slices
2 cups flax seeds, ground into flour 1 cup almonds, ground into flour ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 teaspoons agave nectar 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon chopped onions 2 tablespoons Italian seasonings 2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup red grapes, sliced
1 Combine flax and almond flours in a large bowl. Add olive oil, agave nectar, garlic, onion, rosemary and sea salt. Mix well.
2 Fold in grapes.
3 Spread Focaccia dough on two Teflex-sheets, making them about 1/4-inch thick. Drizzle with olive oil. Place in dehydrator at 140 degrees for 4-6 hours or until Focaccia is dry on the top.
4 Flip over and remove Teflex sheets. With a pizza cutter, score the Focaccia into six large rectangles. You should have 12 slices of Focaccia bread. Drizzle with olive oil. Dehydrate at 110 degrees for an additional 8-12 hours or until the Focaccia is dry and semi-hard on the outside but soft and somewhat moist on the inside.
The Daily Raw Blog Kitchen Tip: From time to time I use a thermometer to check the temperature of the foods I dehydrate. Particularly when I raise the temperature of the dehydrator. I just like to make sure the temperature of my food doesn't rise also.
My 1, 2 and 8-year old children are used to mom's raw food creations. For better or worse, they have acquired a taste for fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Kevin, my 14 year-old stepson is the new kid on the block and has come from a bag-of-candy-a-day habit. Now, when I create dishes, he is the gauge I use to determine if my recipes are up to par. I am pleased to say that he has asked me to make this recipe twice since it's conception.
Red Pepper Aioli 1 cup cashews, soaked for an hour ¼ cup water 2 garlic cloves, minced juice one one lemon ½ red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons sea salt
1 Combine cashews, water, lemon juice and garlic in a blender. Blend until cashew becomes a thick, smooth mayonnaise. Add more water one tablespoon at a time until you cashews break down and you achieve desired consistency.
2 Add in the red peppers, olive oil and sea salt. Briefly process until peppers are smooth. 3 Serve with bread, cucumbers, mushrooms and tomatoes.
It's not too late to submit a recipe for February's challenge. Next week, I'll post the recipe for Radicchio and Fennel Coleslaw.
I wanted to share how talented and creative Man on the Raw is. Here are a few things he has created over the last week or so.
A Git-Fiddle out of a cigar box. It‘s very intricate, the neck is made from wood with inlay made from peach wood . He also made an amp from a thrift-store tin and a speaker from one of the kids’ broken toys. The amazing thing is that the fiddle plays and the amp and speaker work. It’s amazing what you can do with scraps. Wicked.
His Valentine’s Day gift to me was a fruit and vegetable sculpture which I immediately juiced. Very nice. To top it off he bought me a sugar cane to chew on.
In return I made him a chopped salad with Matt Amsden’s Sweet Basil Oil Salad Dressing (p. 88).
My mother asked me to write something to help my Aunt Gigi get on a path of healthier eating. And although I would be the first to say “Go Raw” I realize saying it is much easier than doing it.
If I can offer Aunt Gigi a smoothie or salad recipe here or there, she could take baby steps into more greener pastures.
But first I should remind her of the reasons why incorporating more fruits and green leafy vegetables into her meals (and less of the processed, dead crap) is beneficial to her health. Also, exercise is a must with our family history. You feeling me?
So here are the Top Five Reasons you, Aunt Gigi should eat healthier.
5. You gain a tremendous amount of energy to continue to stay out all night dancing.
4. You feel good. Just ask the man who was rubbing up against you on the dance floor.
3. You become positive and happy without doing major drugs.
2. Your mind becomes sharp and alert, so when you get pulled over, you can think of something clever to tell the police officer.
1. You live longer. I’ve got a few bucks on you outlasting mom, do me proud.
Love you both, Terilynn
Recipe #39 of the Complete Book of Raw Food Endeavor is Rhio’s Marinated Collard Ribbons (p. 65). Now this is a risky recipe for Aunt Gigi to try because I don’t think any woman in our family, excluding myself, has ever eaten collards raw. I believe that there is a family law, punishable by death, which states collards (or mustards, or turnips) greens must be cooked a minimum of 8 hours or until the paint wears from the walls, whichever happens first. Trust me Aunt Gigi, these marinated collards are delicious and you will enjoy. Spicy Marinated Collardsadapted from Rhio's recipe 1 bunch collard greens, stems removed, cut into thin strips (Chiffonade)2 tablespoons olive oilJuice of one lemon2 teaspoons sea salt1/4 teaspoon cayenne peppera pinch of red pepper flakes In a large bowl, combine collard strips, olive oil, lemon, sea salt, cayenne and red pepper flakes. Massage the collards with your hands. Cover the bowl and let set at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Today was one of the best Valentine's Day I have ever experienced.
Chef Vinnette created a wonderful impromptu luncheon for the students and staff.
When I came into work this morning she had the tables decorated with Valentine paraphernalia. It looked like cupid gone wild.She a true romantic and a very special person. She went the distance to create a wonderful experience. With each dish you can taste the love and passion that went into its creation. She thought of every detail; from the delectable names on the menu to wine glasses filled with rose petals and coconut water ice cubes.
She even had me setting the tables on my lunch break. Oops, that knife is crooked.
If you ever get a chance to attend Living Light, make sure you take the Gourmet or Pastry series and train under Vinnette. It will be an experience you will never forget. Vinnette is so giving as an instructor and as a person.
I took home a few party favors for the children and myself.I love these little Valentine's Day cards, they remind me of the ones I used when I was a kid. They are so precious.
8:50 a.m. green smoothie at work11 a.m. Mila with water and celery stick at work11:27 a.m. celery stick1:12 p.m. Valentine's Day luncheon at work4:09 p.m. Mila and water with celery stick5:02 p.m. Sharing with Man on the Raw at home- Chocolate Lava cake with ice cream, chocolate and raspberry sauces6:44 p.m. Green juice at home
Happy Anniversary to the hardest-working couple I know!
A Blended Salad is a mixture of raw, leafy greens and other foods blended together to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Eating a salad prepared in this manner is quick, convenient and increases absorption of important nutrients.
Recipe #37 of the Complete Book of Raw Food Endeavor.
This is a pretty standard recipe and the beauty of the salad is you can add your favorite vegetables to eat.
Blended Salad by Paul Nison, p. 93 1 handful leafy greens (lettuce and spinach work best) 1/2 cucumber 1 stalk celery 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 handful sunflower sprouts (optional) 1/2 red pepper (optional) 1 avocado 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil (optional) 1 tomato
image Detoxifynow.com On an episode of "He Said She Said" Man on the Raw and I talked about food combining and offered an overview of the principles of food combining. I wanted to touch base with it again after Traci left a comment on the post.
I want to stress that during "Everything I Eat -Raw" thus far, I am not practicing food combining at all. Not to say that I won't. In between Living Light's culinary school creations, I actually was thinking about trying different raw food "diets" (mono, juice feasting *a third one? IDK*, 80-10-10, etc.) and documenting those experiences. For now, I am enjoying sharing the raw goodies that are out there to be had.
On to the question.
Traci asks "What are examples of "concentrated carb/concentrated protein?"
Concentrated Carbohydrates are considered foods that are on the the top of the glycemic index, mainly starchy vegetables and fruits.
Here is a brief list of various vegetables and fruits carrying a high glycemic index:
High glycemic fruit blueberries dried fruit figs grapes kumquats loganberries mangoes mulberries pears pineapple pomegranates prunes watermelon (however, it has a low glycemic load)
Other resources on raw foods and food combining: Raw Food Living has a chart with digestive times. Raw Food Explained offers several articles on the subject Food Combining for Optimal Health by Angela Stokes-Monarch Food Combining Wallet Card
I promise I had the best intentions. I had a beautiful menu planned for you for this Thursday. Each day this week I would focus on a different course for you to seduce your sweetie into a meal he or she would always remember.
The foreplay of the evening would have been the Sweet and Spicy Neptune Salad Cocktail, followed by a bit of cool Cucumber soup or maybe a Shaved Fennel salad with cranberries. Moving on to main event it was a Mushroom Ragu and Chickpea Polenta with Asparagus Rolls. The climax was Cheesecakes Shots with Blueberry sauce.
I like to cuddle after. Do you like to cuddle? I thought you might cuddle with a Fruit Platter of pineapple cubes, strawberries and raspberries with two spicy chocolate sauces for dipping and feeding . One laced with cayenne and the other with cinnamon.
Time escaped me and I really couldn't indulge in such an extravagant venture, you know the juice feasting thing.
Now before you leave in a huff and curse me for being such a tease or so you won't wear "that shirt" that says "I visited The Daily Raw Blog and all I got was this stinking T-shirt"...try this, to soothe the savage beast.
A sweet and fiery concoction that will most definitely set the fires ablazing. Here folks to get your party started is the.....
Sweet and Spicy Neptune Salad Cocktail 2 cups finely diced coconut meat 2 tablespoon finely diced red onion 1 Holland chili (or another red-colored chili or pepper), finely diced 2 long pieces of dried seaweed, broken into small pieces, save extra for garnish 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon coconut butter Juice of one lime juice 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 lettuce leaf 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into slices A few sprigs of cilantro for garnish
1 Toss coconut meat, onion, chilies and seaweed in a bowl.
2 Whisk together honey, coconut butter, lime juice and sea salt until the honey and coconut butter dissolves a bit, creating a smooth consistency. Pour into bowl with coconut meat. Marinate at least an hour.
3 Place lettuce leaf in the bottom of cocktail glass. Place a heaping amount of Neptune salad on top of leaf. Garnish with avocado, cilantro and a few flakes of seaweed.
Servings: 2
After you finish eating the salad, sip on the juice that have collected in the bottom of the glasses.
Thursday was a full day. I went to not one Bikram Yoga class but two, plus played basketball with Man on the Raw and our 10-year-old Donavan. The juice feast has given me an excess of energy and I'm taking full advantage of it. Dave Klein's Ginger Ale, (p. 146) was a good, energizing drink to get me through my busy day.
To commemorate Day 40 of My Juice Feast please enjoy a few Shazzie drinks. Cabbage and Carrot Juice, by Shazzie, p. 140 — pretty basic, tasted more like carrots than cabbage, which is a good thing when drinking cabbage. Brutus is Scared, by Shazzie, p. 139. I drank gallons of this juice all last week before I realized there was an actual recipe in the book. (no photo available)
Coconut Drink, by Shazzie, p. 142. Tastes a bit like an Orange Julius without the sweetness. Hopping Wild, by Shazzie, p. 148.
Take Shazzie's advice and work your way up the wild green ladder. Dandelions (my green of choice) are bitter and 10-20 leaves overpower the drink. And a bit of ramblings at Inspiration:Life.
Shannonmarie of Rawdorable has passed along this Creative Blogger award to me. Thank you very much, it is quite an honor. As many of you know I have 5 kids and any sort of time I can crave out to be creative is cherished. So it's great that I can share the fruits of my creative labor with so many of you and to be recognised for that is pretty cool.
Also thanks to Heidi and Justin for the Juice Feasting award. I just found out about that one today. Much love to you both. — Terilynn
Mango Soup by Shannon Isley, 100 This was a good soup and I threw caution to the wind and added a pinch or two of sea salt and it transformed into a very, good soup.
But then I got to thinking. When do you eat Mango Soup? When do you use mangos? They can kick off the day blended in a smoothie, maybe add a little something different to a salsa or chutney and a mango can be down right sensual eaten by itself. But when would you take the time to create Mango soup, if it were not for a special occasion?
It’s not a cozy tomato soup or brawny mushroom soup or even a soothing miso broth. Those soups are like your grandmother’s quilt…dependable, comforting. Mangos are definitely not, that. I suppose since mangoes are an aphrodisiac, Valentine’s Day is a fine time to dine on Mango soup.
image Just the sexiness of all the ingredients. The mango. Touching it, you should feel the skin give, its ripe suppleness is a perfect consistency for the soup. Go ahead, it’s alright to smile as the sweet juices and sticky texture drip down your arm and make their way to the blender. flint hill
Do you feel your heart race as your knife bites down on the red chile pepper exposing the heat. Did you gasp as the burning chile fumes arrived at your nose? Was that a smile as you thought of your dinner companion for the evening? I promise I won’t tell that you secretly added a few chile seeds to the blender. A little more heat won’t hurt anyone.
It’s fortunate that the coconut meat bestows richness to this seductive dish as the coconut water washes over the mixture; a cool breeze on an August day. Lime juice brings a bit of spunk with its tartness and sass.
libraryman And last but certainly not least, the ginger offers warmth, not like wool socks, yet reminiscent of the fiery lover who cuddles after. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Spicy Mango Soup 3 very ripe mangoes, peeled, flesh removed Meat and water from 2 coconuts, extra water as needed 1 small red chile, seeds removed, chopped Juice of 1 lime 1 teaspoon grated ginger ½ teaspoon sea salt
Combine mango, coconut meat and water, chile, lime juice, ginger and sea salt together in a high-speed blender; process until smooth and creamy. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.
12:50 p.m. green juice at home
8:50 a.m. green smoothie at work
11 a.m. Mila with water and celery stick at work
11:27 a.m. celery stick
1:12 p.m. Valentine's Day luncheon at work
4:09 p.m. Mila and water with celery stick
5:02 p.m. Sharing with Man on the Raw at home- Chocolate Lava cake with ice cream, chocolate and raspberry sauces
6:44 p.m. Green juice at home
